Footwear with interchangeable member

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides an item of footwear with removable modular sole member that allow customization of the footwear with respect to traction, cushioning, support, fit, performance and/or aesthetic functions and features. It is an object of the present invention to provide a footwear which can be customized to be utilized for varying conditions and/or occasions. Another object of the invention is to provide a footwear with relatively simple means for quickly and firmly securing an interchangeable sole with effective elements which do not adversely affect the appearance or comfort of the footwear.

FIELD OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to an item of footwear and, moreparticularly, to a modular convertible footwear with interchangeable orreplaceable sole member that allows for customization thereof.

BACKGROUND

Typically, a footwear, like a shoe, includes an upper part, a platformand a sole; while other features such as a lining, a tongue and an innersole may also be present. Typically, the sole is fixed (generally,glued) with the underside of the platform. The platform provides themain support for the bottom of the foot, and the sole function toprotect the underside of the platform from wear. Often, the soles of apair of shoes become worn out before the upper part and the platform ofthe shoe. That is, the upper part and the platform of the shoes maystill be in relatively new and/or good condition, while the soles of theshoes may have worn out. This may cause the shoes to becomeuncomfortable and/or bad for the joints of the person wearing the shoe.

Most shoes available in today's marketplace are constructed using theso-called Strobel method which produces ample flex, and allows asock-like feel by using a cloth connection to stitch the upper (theportion of the shoe that wraps the foot) to the midsole (the sectionthat contains the cushioning). The traction-containing outsole is thencemented or glued onto the midsole. Shoes constructed using the Strobelmethod, in particular athletic shoes, are prone to failure, or blowouts,where the upper connects to the midsole. One such highly publicizedblowout occurred during a high-profile NCAA basketball matchup betweenDuke and North Carolina on Feb. 20, 2019. Thirty-three seconds into thegame, Duke freshman Zion Williamson, who is six feet seven inches talland weighed 284 pounds, planted his left foot to make a move to thebasket when the upper ripped away from the midsole on his left shoe.

Furthermore, some persons (for example, athletes) may be required towear shoes with different types of soles for differentoccasions/purposes. For example, for a sport, such as soccer, the gamemay be played on natural grass, various kinds of artificial grass orrugs, and various kinds of soil. In order for the athlete to achieveathletic performances on varying field conditions, the shoe soles shouldhave a tread best suited to the particular field surface and thecondition thereof at the time of use. However, stylistic aspects offootwear are traditionally determined at the point of manufacture, theuser's only option when selecting a different style or appearance beingto select one pair of shoes in preference to another. Therefore, in suchcase, an individual athlete may be required to own each type of shoes,which may turn out to be an expensive proposition.

Some shoes having interchangeable soles are known in the art but had notmet with commercial acceptance because of the complex and impracticalnature thereof. Generally, conventional replaceable soled shoes do notallow for easy release and attachment, and typically do not provide goodstability on the shoe.

Accordingly, there is a desire for shoes with easily interchangeablesoles that avoid the above described and other related problems. Thereis also a need and a desire for a new method of constructing footwearthat is not subject to the weaknesses and blowouts common with shoesassembled using the Strobel method.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides an item of footwear with removablemodular sole member that allow customization of the footwear withrespect to traction, cushioning, support, fit, performance and/oraesthetic functions and features. It is an object of the presentinvention to provide a footwear which can be customized to be utilizedfor varying conditions and/or occasions. Another object of the inventionis to provide a footwear with relatively simple means for quickly andfirmly securing an interchangeable sole with effective elements which donot adversely affect the appearance or comfort of the footwear.

The footwear of the present disclosure includes a main body. Herein, themain body includes an upper portion and a base portion. The base portionis provided with multiple openings. The openings are sized and spaced ina predefined manner. The present footwear further includes a sole membercomplementary to shape of the base portion of the main body. The solemember generally has a flat surface on one side and protrusionsextending from other side thereof. The protrusions are sized and spacedconforming to the size and spacing between the openings provided in thebase portion of the main body. The sole member is adapted to be insertedinside the main body, such that the protrusions in the sole memberextend out through the openings in the base portion of the main body, toremovably attach the sole member with the main body in the footwear.

In one or more embodiments, the footwear further includes a tonguemember. The tongue member includes a tongue portion and a base portionflexibly coupled with each other. The base portion of the tongue memberis complementary to the shape of the base portion of the main body. Thebase portion of the tongue member is further provided with openings,similar to the openings in the base portion of the main body. The tonguemember is inserted into the main body such that the base portion thereofrests on the base portion of the main body and the openings in the baseportion of the tongue member are aligned with the openings in the baseportion of the main body with the protrusions in the sole memberextending out through the openings in the base portion of the tonguemember as well as the base portion of the main body. Herein, the tongueportion is adapted to be folded, with respect to the base portion in thetongue member, to be accommodated inside the main body.

In some embodiments, the main body includes a cover portion flexiblycoupled to the upper portion thereof, and adapted to be folded over tocover the tongue portion of the tongue member when inserted in the mainbody.

In some embodiments, the cover portion includes a fastener and the upperportion includes a cooperating fastener such that when the cover portionis folded over, the fastener and the cooperating fastener engage witheach other to secure the cover portion over the upper portion, in themain body.

In some embodiments, the upper portion of the main body is provided witheyelets for allowing laces to pass therethrough, for proper tying of thefootwear over the foot of the user.

In some embodiments, the tongue member is provided with eyelets forallowing of laces to pass therethrough, for proper tying of the footwearover the foot of the user.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be inany way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments,and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and featureswill become apparent by reference to the drawings and the followingdetailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

For a more complete understanding of example embodiments of the presentdisclosure, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a diagrammatic perspective view of a footwear, inaccordance with one or more exemplary embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a diagrammatic top perspective view of a main body ofthe footwear of FIG. 1, in accordance with one or more exemplaryembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a diagrammatic bottom perspective view of the mainbody of FIG. 2, in accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a diagrammatic perspective view of a sole member ofthe footwear of FIG. 1, in accordance with one or more exemplaryembodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a diagrammatic perspective view of a tongue member ofthe footwear of FIG. 1, in accordance with one or more exemplaryembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 6A-6F illustrate diagrammatic views depicting various stepsinvolved in assembling of the footwear of FIG. 1, in accordance with oneor more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however,to one skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited tothese specific details.

Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment”means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic describedin connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodimentof the present disclosure. The appearance of the phrase “in oneembodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarilyall referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternativeembodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Further, the terms“a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but ratherdenote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. Moreover,various features are described which may be exhibited by someembodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements aredescribed which may be requirements for some embodiments but not forother embodiments.

Numerous embodiments are described in the present application, and arepresented for illustrative purposes only. The described embodiments arenot, and are not intended to be, limiting in any sense. The presentlydisclosed invention(s) are widely applicable to numerous embodiments, asis readily apparent from the disclosure. One of ordinary skill in theart will recognize that the disclosed invention(s) may be practiced withvarious modifications and alterations, such as structural and logicalmodifications. Although particular features of the disclosedinvention(s) may be described with reference to one or more particularembodiments and/or drawings, it should be understood that such featuresare not limited to usage in the one or more particular embodiments ordrawings with reference to which they are described, unless expresslyspecified otherwise.

Referring to FIG. 1, illustrated is diagrammatic view of a footwear(generally referred by the numeral 100), in accordance with one or moreembodiments of the present disclosure. In the illustration of FIG. 1,the footwear 100 is depicted to be in the form of a shoe; however, itwill be appreciated that the footwear 100 may be any other form of outercovering for the feet, such as boot, sandals, etc. without departingfrom the spirit and the scope of the present disclosure. According toembodiments of the present disclosure, the footwear 100 includes a mainbody 102 designed to fit the foot of a wearer. The footwear 100 alsoincludes a sole member 104 removably attached to the bottom of the mainbody 102. In the present embodiments, a plurality of interchangeableremovable sole members 104 can be selectively attached to the main body102, in order to customize the footwear 100 for comfort and utilization.The sole member 104 can be suited for a specific activity or sport suchas football, baseball, track, hiking, and golf or for general walking.In accordance with an important feature of the present disclosure, aplurality of removable sole members 104 may be provided, each of thesole members 104 having a different bottom configuration to allow formore customization options of the footwear 100 for the user.

Referring to FIGS. 2-3 in combination, as illustrated, the main body 102includes an upper portion 106 and a base portion 108. The upper portion106 imparts the main body 102 with the required shape and space foraccommodating a foot of a user, such that the main body 102 appearssimilar to a traditional shoe. The upper portion 106 could be a completeenclosure that surrounds a foot or it could be a partial enclosure suchas a set of sandal straps. The upper portion 106 can be fabricated fromany conventional footwear material such as leather or canvas in sports,work shoe, dress shoe, and everyday shoe styles. As illustrated, thebase portion 108 of the main body 102 is provided with multiple openings110. Herein, the openings 110 are sized and spaced in a predefinedpattern or manner. In the given illustration, the openings 110 are shownto be generally rectangular and are disposed in a predefined pattern. Itmay be contemplated that the openings 110 may have any other suitableshape and/or may be arranged in any other suitable pattern without anylimitations.

Further, as illustrated better in FIG. 2, the main body 102 includes acover portion 112. The cover portion 112 is flexibly coupled to theupper portion 106, in the main body 102. The cover portion 112 is shownto be generally rectangular in shape, but may have any other suitableshape based on the desired aesthetics of the footwear 100. Herein, thecover portion 112 is adapted to fold over the upper portion 106 of themain body 102. Also, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the cover portion 112includes a fastener 114 provided along lower edge towards inner sidethereof. Further, the upper portion 106 of the main body 102 may beprovided with a cooperating fastener 116 such that when the coverportion 112 is folded over, the fastener 114 and the cooperatingfastener 116 engage with each other to secure the cover portion 112along a side of the upper portion 106, in the main body 102. In thepresent examples, the fastener 114 and the cooperating fastener 116 isshown to be in the form of hook and loop fasteners (Velcro); however, itmay be appreciated that any form if suitable fasteners, such as zippers,hook and eye fastener, snap or poppers, and the like.

Also, as illustrated, the upper portion 106 of the main body 102 may beprovided with eyelets 118 formed along front and upper lateral endsthereof. As may be seen, the eyelets 118 are generally distributed alongthe lateral edge of the upper portion 106. As may be contemplated, theeyelets 118 are in the form of apertures to allow for laces to passtherethrough, such that the laces could be tied up as desired, as may berequired for snugly tying up and fitting the footwear 100 over the footof the user.

Referring now to FIG. 4, as may be seen, the sole member 104 is designedto have a shape complementary to the base portion 108 of the main body102. Generally, the sole member 104 is generally sized to fit within andsubstantially fill the interior of the main body 102. The sole member104 may be a unitary structure (e.g., molded unit) or it may be composedof two or more subcomponents combined together as a single unit (e.g. byadhesives or fasteners). Herein, the sole members 104 can be fabricatedfrom rubber, leather, or plastic, and can contain different bottomconfigurations such as cleats, spikes, ridges, and grooves or be flat.In one example, the sole member 104 may have a uniform thickness. Inother examples, the thickness of the sole member 104 may vary, forexample, the sole member 104 may have a heel portion that is raised toprovide a boot heel or a central portion might be recessed to providecushioning. In some examples, the sole member 104 may be provided with aheel (not shown) firmly attached to the rear part thereof or integrallyformed therewith. Contemplated fabrication methods for the sole member104 may include molding, injection molding, direct-injection molding,one-time molding, composite molding, insert molding, co-molding separatematerials, or other techniques known in the art, alone or incombination.

In some examples, the upper surface of the sole member 104 may becoated, laminated or covered with an inner sole made generally ofcushioning and soft materials. Further, in some examples, the solemember 104 may be provided with cushioning elements which may providebasic shock absorbing, energy return, and/or protective underfootmaterials or structures that are intended to react to the forces of footstrike by providing force attenuation, dissipation, dampening, or energyreturn (spring), which are typically included on sports and athleticshoes. For example, the cushioning element may include a consistent anduniform layer of shock absorbing and protective material, such as EVA orpolyurethane, placed in a shoe between the foot and the ground, orcustomized placements of varying cushioning materials and structuresunder a foot, or may be based on EVA or polyurethane foam,visco-elastomers of foam or gels, fluid filled bladders, mechanicalsprings or resiliently collapsible mechanical structures, fluid (e.g.,air) springs, or any combination of the foregoing.

The sole member 104 generally has a flat surface on one side andprotrusions 120 extending from other side thereof. As may be seen fromFIG. 4, the protrusions 120 are sized and spaced complementary andconforming to the size and spacing between the openings 110 provided inthe base portion 108 of the main body 102. As used herein, “tocomplement” or “complementary” means geometrically shaped and sized forsnug interconnection, or a male or female part that is not so shaped andsized but has material properties such that it will conform to a male orfemale part to which it is being interconnected. As discussed, the solemember 104 is generally sized to fit within and substantially fill theinterior of the main body 102. The sole member 104 is adapted to beinserted inside the main body 102, such that the protrusions 120 in thesole member 104 extend out through the openings 110 in the base portion108 of the main body 102. This, in turn, engage and removably attach thesole member 104 with the main body 102 in the footwear 100. In someembodiments, the sole member 104 may be provided with a plurality oftongues extending outwardly from the flat surface of the sole member 104and arrayed along an outer edge of the flat surface. The tongues areadapted to be disposed inside complimentary groves defined in the mainbody 102. Therefore, an engagement of the tongues and the groovesfacilitates a positive engagement or coupling of the sole member 104with the main body 102.

Referring back to FIG. 1, as illustrated, the footwear 100 also includesa tongue member 122. FIG. 5 illustrates a diagrammatic view of thetongue member 122, in accordance with one or more embodiments of thepresent disclosure. As illustrated, the tongue member 122 includes atongue portion 124 and a base portion 126. The tongue portion 124 andthe base portion 126 of the tongue member 122 are flexibly coupled witheach other. Further, as may be seen, the base portion 126 of the tonguemember 122 is complementary in shape to the shape of the base portion108 of the main body 102. The base portion 126 of the tongue member 122is provided with openings 128, similar to the openings 110 in the baseportion 108 of the main body 102. In some embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the tongue member 122 is provided with eyelets (not shown)to allow for laces to pass therethrough. It may be appreciated that thetongue member 122 protects the foot from the elements and/or protects aperson's instep from fastening means which may be present above thetongue portion 124. The tongue member 122 usually runs along the instepup to the point where the person's shin meets the foot at or about theankle line.

As may be contemplated, the tongue member 122 is inserted into the mainbody 102 such that the base portion 126 thereof rests on the baseportion 108 of the main body 102 and the openings 128 in the baseportion 126 of the tongue member 122 are aligned with the openings 110in the base portion 108 of the main body 102. In such configuration, theprotrusions 120 in the sole member 104 extend out through the openings128 in the base portion 126 of the tongue member 122 as well as theopenings 110 in the base portion 108 of the main body 102. Further, insuch configuration, the tongue portion 124 is adapted to be folded withrespect to the base portion 126 to be generally disposed at an angularposition extending outwardly from the upper portion 106 of the main body102, and to be generally accommodated inside the main body 102 (asbetter shown in FIG. 1).

FIGS. 6A-6F illustrate diagrammatic views depicting various stepsinvolved in assembling of the footwear of FIG. 1, in accordance with oneor more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Firstly, asillustrated in FIG. 6A, the tongue member 122 is inserted inside theupper portion 106 of the main body 102, such that the base portion 126of the tongue member 122 rests on the base portion 108 of the main body102. The tongue member 122 is inserted into the main body 102 such thatthe openings 128 in the base portion 126 of the tongue member 122 arealigned with the openings 110 in the base portion 106 of the main body102. Further, as discussed, the tongue portion 124 of the tongue member122 is adapted to be folded with respect to the base portion 126 to begenerally disposed at an angular position extending outwardly from theupper portion 106 of the main body 102, and to be generally accommodatedinside the main body 102

Thereafter, as illustrated in FIG. 6B, the sole member 104 is insertedinto the main body 102. The sole member 104 is arranged such that thesurface thereof having the protrusions 120 is resting on the baseportion 126 of the tongue member 122, which, in turn, is resting on thebase portion 106 of the main body 102. As may be seen from FIG. 6C, theprotrusions 120 in the sole member 104 extend out through the openings128 in the base portion 126 of the tongue member 122 and further throughthe openings 110 in the base portion 106 of the main body 102. This waythe sole member 104 is removably attached with the main body 102 in thefootwear 100. The engagement is sufficient to resist forces on the solemember 104 that arise during ordinary use of the footwear 100; however,the sole member 104 may be removed when additional pulling forces areapplied to the sole member 104, for example by pulling a strap or thelike (not shown) of the sole member 104 to remove the sole member 104from the main body 102, for replacement thereof.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 6D, the tongue portion 124 isfolded with respect to the base portion 126 in the tongue member 122, tobe generally disposed at an angular position extending generallyoutwardly from the upper portion 106 of the main body 102, and to begenerally accommodated inside the main body 102 (as shown). Further, asshown in FIG. 6E, laces 130 are passed through the eyelets 118 in theupper portion 106 of the main body 102, if required. Finally, as shownin FIG. 6F, the cover portion 112 is folded over to cover the tongueportion 124 of the tongue member 122, when the tongue member 122 isinserted in the main body 102. Herein, the fastener 114 of the tonguemember 122 engages with the cooperating fastener 116 in the upperportion 106 of the main body 102, such that the cover portion 112 issecured in position to cover the tongue portion 124 of the tongue member122 (as shown).

As discussed, the sole member 104 may have different bottomconfigurations to allow for more customization options of the footwear100 for the user. The footwear 100 in accordance with the presentinvention have the economic benefit of allowing replacement of only thesole member 104 rather than the whole shoe when the sole member 104 isworn down or otherwise not desirable for use. The footwear 100 may comeup with a single sole member 104 or a plurality of sole members 104 thatare separated with different properties, e.g., varying traction, and theuse of a specific sole member may be depend on the activity. Replaceablesole members 104 in accordance with the present invention may beutilized for multi-terrain shoes with different soles for differentterrains; for example, trail, street and/or sidewalk, running track,treadmill, indoor court, outdoor court, grass, or any other terrain.These sole members 104 may be various types of soles, such as racingsoles, training soles, and extra support soles. Use of separate solemembers 104 allows for a user to customize the sole properties, e.g., tocompensate for pronation or to provide more or less traction indifferent areas of the foot, for example, in forefoot, mid-foot and/orrear-foot locations.

The present footwear 100 is ideally suited for those wearers whoparticipate in a number of different indoor and outdoor activities orsports, allowing the same uppers to be used with a number of differentremovable lower soles, thereby eliminating the need to purchase multiplepairs of expensive shoes. Footwear 100 of the present disclosure withinterchangeable sole members 104 are particularly valuable for personswho desire variety in footwear and are limited by considerations ofeconomy. One pair of main body 102 may be used with a number ofinterchangeable sole members 104, thereby affording a wide variety infootwear apparel at a cost of little more than the price of one or twopairs of conventional footwear. Footwear 100 with interchangeable solemembers 104 are also desirable in instances where storage or packingspace is at a premium. For example, during a journey a traveler may needpairs of shoes with different types of soles for performing varyingactivities (like, walking, hiking, running, etc.), which ordinarilywould fill an entire suitcase. By carrying several pairs of flexibleinterchangeable sole members 104, substantial packing space may besaved, because the compressible interchangeable sole members 104 fitinto a comparatively small area. The present footwear 100 allows thewearer to quickly and easily change the soles on his or her shoes tomeet specific needs. Also, as the sole member 104 is disposed inside themain body 102, the sole member 104 cannot separate from the main body102 during the use of the footwear 100.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the presentdisclosure have been presented for purposes of illustration anddescription. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit thepresent disclosure to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously manymodifications and variations are possible in light of the aboveteaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described in order tobest explain the principles of the present disclosure and its practicalapplication, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilizethe present disclosure and various embodiments with variousmodifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

1. A shoe comprising: a main body with an upper portion and a baseportion wherein, the base portion is provided with a set of Openings,and the upper portion imparts the required shape and space foraccommodating the foot of the user such that the main body appearssimilar to a traditional shoe; a sole member with a flat side and a sidewith a set of protrusions, wherein the set of protrusions are shaped andspaced to be complimentary to the size and space of the set of openingson the base portion the main body, and the sole member is sized to fitwithin and substantially fill the interior of the main body; and atongue member, wherein, the tongue member comprises: a base portion ofthe tongue member which is complimentary in shape to the protrusions ofthe sole member, and has a set of openings similar in shape and spacingto the set of openings in the base portion of the main body; and atongue portion of the tongue member which is flexibly coupled to thebase portion of the tongue member and positioned such that the tongueportion runs along the instep to a position around the ankle line. 2.The shoe of claim 1, further wherein, the tongue member furthercomprises: a set of eyelets with a connection to the base portion and/orthe tongue portion of the tongue member.
 3. The shoe of claim 1 wherein,the set of openings in the base portion of the main body is formed in agrid of shaped openings.
 4. The shoe of claim 1 wherein, the sole membermay be provided with a plurality of tongues extending outwardly from theflat surface of the sole member and arrayed along an outer edge of theflat surface, the tongue portions are adapted to be disposed insidecomplimentary groves defined in the main body.
 5. The shoe of claim 1further wherein, the tongue portion of the tongue member is providedwith eyelets and positioned to protect the instep of the wearer fromfastening means and/or the elements.
 6. The shoe of claim 1, wherein,the flat side of the sole member is covered with an inner sole made ofthe generally soft or cushioning materials of an athletic shoe.
 7. Theshoe of claim 1, wherein, the sole member is an interchangeable unitwherein, the unit can be removed from main body by the user and the solemember is provided with one or more features selected from: uniformthickness from end to end; thickness which varies from end to end; arecessed central portion; and a heel, wherein: the heel is securelyattached; or formed as part of the sole member.
 8. The shoe of claim 1,wherein, the sole member is provided with cushioning elements providingbasic shock absorption, energy return, and/or protective underfootstructures or materials that are intended to react to the forces of footstrike, by providing force attenuation dissipation, dampening, or energyreturn.
 9. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the main body further comprisesa cover portion which is flexibly coupled to the upper portion on oneside of the upper body folded over to the other side of the main bodywherein, a fastener (114) is positioned to engage with a cooperatingfastener (116) along the other side of the upper portion securing theupper portion to the cover at the fastener (114) and the cooperatingfastener (116).
 10. The Shoe of claim 9 wherein, the fastener (114) andthe cooperating fastener (116) is selected from: Hook and loop strips;Zippers; Hook and eye fastener; Snaps or poppers fasteners.
 11. The shoeof claim 9 wherein, a second tongue portion arranged around the outeredge of the flat surface of the sole member of 122 has a fastener (114)that engages with the cooperating fastener (116) in the upper portion ofthe main body, and further wherein, a set of eyelets with the tonguemember allow for laces to pass therethrough, such that the laces couldbe tied up.
 12. A shoe, comprising: a main body with an upper portionand a base portion wherein, the base portion is provided with a set ofopenings, and the upper portion imparts the required shape and space foraccommodating the foot of the user such that the main body appearssimilar to a traditional shoe; a sole member with a flat side and a sidewith a set of protrusions, wherein the set of protrusions are shaped andspaced to be complimentary to the size and space of the set of openingson the base portion of the main body, and the sole member is sized tofit within and substantially fill the interior of the main body; and atongue member in-between the base portion of the main body and the solemember, wherein the tongue member further comprises: a base portion ofthe tongue member which is complimentary in shape to the protrusions ofthe sole member, and has a set of openings similar in shape and spacingto the set of openings in the base portion of the main body; and atongue portion of the tongue member which is flexibly coupled to thebase portion of the tongue member and positioned such that the tongueportion runs along the instep to a position around the ankle line. 13.The shoe of claim 12, wherein the sole member comprises: a racing sole;training soles; and extra support soles.
 14. The shoe of claim 12,wherein the sole member comprises: a unitary structure; or it may becomposed of two or more subcomponents combined together as a singleunit.
 15. The shoe of claim 12, wherein the sole member is comprised of:rubber; leather; or plastic.
 16. The shoe of claim 12, wherein the solemember is a unit fabricated from one or more methods selected from:molding; injection molding; direct-injection molding; one-time molding;composite molding; insert molding; co-molding separate materials.
 17. Amethod of making a shoe, comprising: constructing a main body with anupper portion and a base portion wherein, the base portion is providedwith a set of openings, and the upper portion imparts the required shapeand space for accommodating the foot of the user such that the main bodyappears similar to a traditional shoe; constructing a sole member with aflat side and a side with a set of protrusions, wherein the set ofprotrusions are shaped and spaced to be complimentary to the size andspace of the set of openings on the base portion of the main body, andthe sole member is sized to fit within and substantially fill theinterior of the main body; and inserting the sole member into the mainbody, such that a surface with a set of protrusions is facing the baseportion of the main body, and the set of protrusions in the sole memberextend out through the openings in the base portion of the main body;constructing a tongue member comprising: a base portion with a set ofopenings; and a tongue portion (124) that is flexibly coupled to thebase portion of the tongue member; inserting the tongue member insidethe upper portion of the main body before the sole member such that thebase portion of the tongue member rests on the base portion of the mainbody; and aligning the tongue member such that a set of openings in thebase portion of the tongue member match up with the set of openings inthe base portion of the main body.
 18. The method of making a shoe ofclaim 17, further comprising: removing the sole member with additionalpulling forces are applied to the sole member, by pulling a strap of thesole member or the tongue portion of the tongue member to remove thesole member from the main body, for replacement thereof.
 19. The methodof making a shoe of claim 18, further comprising: Attaching a coverportion to the upper portion of the main body, wherein, a fastener ispositioned on the other side of the cover portion; folding it over tocover the tongue portion of the tongue member, when the tongue member isinserted in the main body, engaging the fastener (114) of the tonguemember with a cooperating fastener (116) in the upper portion of themain body, such that the cover portion is secured in position to coverthe tongue portion of the tongue member.
 20. The method of making a shoeof claim 19, further comprising: Taking a second tongue portion of thetongue member with eyelets and folding it along the outside of the shoe.